Google Dumps Internal Use of Microsoft Windows, Report Says

Google is phasing out internal company use of Microsoft Windows, citing security concerns. Reports say that Google is giving new employees two options: use the Apple Mac or else a PC with a Linux operating system.

The report cites unnamed Google employees who told the FT that new employees are given the option of using Apple’s Mac computers or else PCs running Linux. Employees say that the directive began in January after Google’s Chinese operations were hacked.

A Microsoft spokesman later mocked the FT report, saying that Google wasn’t taking action over security concerns, but rather was doing it for competitive reasons, according to a report at Business Insider.

The spokesman, Frank X. Shaw, mocked the report from his Twitter account, with tweets such as: "News flash: Google bans Bing from its computers. Must credit FT. Picture on Bing home page is distracting to G engineers."

The Business Insider reports that Google currently has 20,000-plus Microsoft Windows operating system licenses – not a trivial amount of business for Microsoft to lose.

Jessica Davis covers the channel for eWeek and Channel Insider. Her technology journalism career began well before anyone heard of the World Wide Web and has included stints at Infoworld, Electronic News/EDN, and the Philadelphia Business Journal. Her work has also appeared on CNN and Forbes.com. She has covered hardware, software and networking, as well as the business side of technology. She has won several journalism awards, including a national ASBPE award for best staff-written column, and was named Marketing Computers hardest working tech journalist on their inaugural list of top tech journalists. Jessica can be reached at jessica.davis@ziffdavisenterprise.com